Saturday, August 2, 2025

The Truth Banishes Fear!

AFCON: Nigeria Narrows Host Country, Ivory Coast’s Chances After 1-0 Defeat

The New Diplomat
Writer

Ad

The Hidden Signals in Oil Markets

Asia’s oil demand is growing faster than major agencies forecast, led by India and Southeast Asia’s emerging economies. China is rapidly restructuring its supplier base, favoring Brazil while cutting ties with U.S. energy. Kazakhstan’s refining expansion and chronic overproduction raise major questions about its future in OPEC+. I’ve been following the oil market closely this…

Oil Falls Below $70 as Sentiment Sours

A poor U.S. jobs report led to a broader sell-off on Friday, with leading stock indices falling from record highs. Friday, August 1st, 2025 Buoyed by Trump’s Russia threats and news of Indian state refiners curbing purchases of Russian crude, crude oil futures have been trending above $70 per barrel throughout the week, settling on…

Ad

By Ken Afor

Host of the 34th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Ivory Coast was humbled in front of their home crowd with a 1-0 defeat by the Super Eagles of Nigeria at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium on Thursday evening.

Captain William Troost-Ekong converted a penalty kick in the 55th minute, confirmed after a thorough Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review, indicating obstruction by Ivorian defender Ousmane Diomande against Victor Osimhen.

With this result, Nigeria has now moved ahead of Ivory Coast in the standings, accumulating four points, tying with Equatorial Guinea, who secured a 4-2 victory over Guinea Bissau earlier. The hosts currently hold three points.

The heavyweight encounter between West African teams was notably slow-paced, marked by physical confrontations and a shortage of clear goal-scoring opportunities. The decisive moment occurred during a tussle in the penalty area, where 20-year-old Diomande made contact with Osimhen’s knee, leading to Troost-Ekong’s powerful penalty kick down the middle.

Nigeria showcased a strong defensive performance, employing a formation with five defenders to curtail their opponents’ attacking abilities. In the offensive department, they presented a greater threat, although Osimhen missed a promising chance to secure an early lead.

“We put together a good strategy and my team did it well. I think we deserved the win,” Nigeria coach Jose Peseiro said.

Christian Kouame had the best chance for the home team in the opening half, but Nigeria’s goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali denied his shot. The Ivorian team showed a lack of stamina from the start, and even with nine minutes of added time, they struggled to penetrate the Super Eagles’ defense. This victory signifies Nigeria’s first win in the Ivory Coast after 10 previous unsuccessful attempts.

Assessing his team, the Ivorian coach Jean Louis Gasset said, “We could not impose ourselves physically but it was the small details that favoured Nigeria.”

It would be recalled that Ivory Coast secured a 2-0 victory in their opening Group A match against Guinea Bissau, while Nigeria played to a 1-1 draw against Equatorial Guinea.

Ivory Coast will play against Equatorial Guinea in the final group game on Monday, while Nigeria will face Guinea Bissau simultaneously.

Ad

X whatsapp